[WikiEN-l] Illegitimate block.

Fri Jan 7 13:28:44 UTC 2005

Jay wrote:
> Perhaps the confusion here is the assumption that the first time one adds 
> information to (or deletes information from) an article, it is not a 
> "revert", but the subsequent 3 additions (and deletions) are "reverts". 
> Thus "3 reverts in 24 hours" can mean 1 edit, then 3 reverts to it. 

Yes, technically a revert is a restoring of the article to a previous state.  So a new edit/addition does not count.  The first edit if a deletion does count, unless it is a novel deletion to a state that did not previously exist.  

Of course complex edits are more difficult to judge, and if there is any question should not count against the 3RR rule, they first should be objected to in specificity, an attempt should even be made to move them to the talk page, for discussion of specific objections.  Further edits which look like good faith attempts to respond to specifically articulated objections are also not reverts.  If good faith attempts are being made and objectors are still reverting or arguing that the 3RR rule is being violated, then it is probably a case for page protection rather than banning under the 3RR rule.

        -- Silverback